James F Byrnes Foundation logo

James F Byrnes Foundation

COLUMBIA, SC EIN: 57-6024756 Website

The James F Byrnes Foundation is a private foundation established in 1947 in South Carolina. The foundation was founded by James F. Byrnes, a prominent South Carolina politician who served in all three branches of the federal government: the U.S. House of Representatives (1911-1925), U.S. Senate (1931-1941), Supreme Court (1941-1942), Secretary of State (1945-1947), and Governor of South Carolina (1951-1955). The foundation is located in Columbia, South Carolina.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$5.2M

+1.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$190K

-1.3% YoY

Grant Count

23

-4.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$8K

+3.0% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary purpose is to assist students with financing a college education. Specifically, the James F Byrnes Foundation provides scholarship assistance to high school seniors and college freshmen and sophomores attending 4-year institutions.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Applicant must be a resident of South Carolina
  • Applicant must have lost one or both parents
  • U.S. citizenship is required
  • Scholarships are available for students attending colleges in any state

The foundation also provides counseling services and hosts a yearly retreat for scholarship recipients.

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept general applications; scholarships are awarded directly to eligible students.

Grant Range

s:**

How to Apply

**

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily serves South Carolina residents, though scholarship recipients may attend colleges and universities in any state. Recent grant recipients include institutions across the United States, including universities in South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida.

Grant Distribution by State

11states
+3 more states

Cities

AikenAndersonAnn ArborAuburnBlufftonBoca RatonCentralCharlestonCharlottesvilleClemsonClintonColumbiaFlorenceGaffneyGreensboroGreenvilleGreenwoodMillcreekNashvilleNew York

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (2024):

  • Total assets: $5,187,988
  • Total revenues: $447,969
  • Total expenses: $371,822
  • Total giving: $193,000
  • Number of grants: 24

Historical Assets:

  • 2022: $5.2 million
  • 2021: $4.8 million
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$462K$924K$1M$2M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$5,187,988$5,111,841$5,159,289
Revenue$447,969$333,096$360,081
Expenses$371,822$380,544$357,452
Qualifying Distributions$295,824$333,555$314,806
Net Investment Income$271,104$64,294$43,853
Distributable Amount$276,859$263,272$271,372

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$48K$96K$144K$193K14 grants202017 grants202122 grants202224 grants202323 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CARO…$45KCLEMSON UNIVERSITY$30KWINTHROP UNIVERSITY$14KANDERSON UNIVERSITY$10KLANDER UNIVERSITY$10KCOLLEGE OF CHARLESTON$9KAUBURN UNIVERSITY$5KBELMONT UNIVERSITY$5KFURMAN UNIVERSITY$5KLIMESTONE UNIVERSITY$5K

Grant Size Distribution

100 grants across all recorded years

97<$50K3$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is governed by a Board of Directors. Leadership mentioned in available sources includes:

  • Cassie Connor
  • Dr. Bill Rowe

The foundation maintains a separate auxiliary organization called the Byrnes Scholars, which is composed of present and former scholarship recipients and serves to unify scholars, promote the ideals of James and Maude Busch Byrnes, and provide fellowship opportunities.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
LOIS H ANDERSONDIRECTOR EME1
TY COLLIERDIRECTOR1
KIM HATCHERSECRETARY1
JAY HAYESDIRECTOR1
KRISTINE HOBBSDIRECTOR1
DEVER MCCRAWPRESIDENT1
PAM MCELVEENDIRECTOR1
CARRIE PERGERSONVICE PRESIDE1
DAL H POSTONDIRECTOR1
RORY PRIESTERDIRECTOR1
JAMES RHODESTREASURER1
RYAN SNEEDDIRECTOR1
ROXANN WRIGHTSONDIRECTOR1

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

**Upcoming Events:**

2026

Super Weekend scheduled for March 20-22, 2026

2026

Scholars Annual Luncheon scheduled for June 13, 2026

2025

**2025 Activities:**

2025

2025 Luncheon held

2025

2025 Scholars announced

2025

2025 Graduates recognized

The foundation continues to actively award scholarships and maintain engagement with its scholar community through annual events and a merchandise program promoting Byrnes Foundation pride.

Byrne Family Foundation Trust surpasses $1 million in rapid-response giving

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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